Wednesday, May 03, 2017

en·light·en·ment

Before ten thousand steps, I
squint my eyes for the
Temple suspended in clouds

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... three men traveled together, a Christian, a Muslim, and A Buddhist. They were good friends, and when they discussed spiritual matters, they seemed to agree on all points. Only when they turned their gaze on the outer world did their perception differ. One day they passed over a mountain ridge to behold a fertile and populated valley below.``How strange,'' said the Christian. ``In Village One down there the villagers are all fast asleep, whereas in Village Two they are lost in a hideous orgy of sin.''``You are quite wrong,'' said the Muslim, ``in Village One everyone is in a perpetual state of ecstasy, whereas in Village Two everyone is asleep.''``Idiots,'' said the Buddhist. ``There is only one village and only one set of villagers. They are dreaming themselves in and out of existence.'' ---p. 46, Bangkok Tattoo, John Burdett